I enjoy the process of working in clay, molding its pliable heavy mass into a human or an animal form, or a combination of the two; keeping it just moist enough for carving it when it is leather hard. Sometimes as I am coiling and building the work, a new direction will be inspired by the clay. Firing of the sculpture to incredibly high temperatures in a kiln, not once, but twice or more, dazzles me. I am enthralled by the clay and glazes’ fiery transformation into shimmering multicolored stone.
Now that I also work in air-dried clay, I enjoy its lightness and its relatively dust-free quality. I finish the pieces with acrylic paint, which protects them from moisture. I am impressed by the clay and paint’s durability when used for small sculptures. Well suited for classroom use, air-dried clay is perfect for small home studios.
Working bigger is on the horizon again, however. I am now a glaze and fire member of the Clay School. Thinking big, I dream of one day creating a public art project. A fan of Tom Otterness, I would love to see children of every ethnicity and ability play on one of my sculptures.
For my inspiration, I often research photographic images of animals and use them as source material for my sculptures. At times my sculptures are inspired by literature, at times by my own fantasies. I have also made sculptures in response to current events. There are a couple of these sculptures, Twitterump, and more recently The Elephant and the Turtle, in which I have retained the photos but destroyed the sculptures in entirety or in part to complete the art project.
Art really does give us the opportunity to transform reality, or at least the way we think about it. I hope my sculptures will amuse you or suggest a new thought.
I also enjoy editing and writing and have done journalistic and promotional writing professionally. In my sculptures, while I often tell a story, I leave the viewers to arrive at their own conclusions.
Being a member of the gallery would eventually give me an opportunity to show my work, which would be wonderful. Immediately it would give me the opportunity to work with other artists on projects to enhance and promote the gallery and to have collegial feedback on my art, something that I have missed since moving here and would like to do and experience again. It will also give me, as it did Ed Brothers, an incentive to produce more work.
Resumé
Art Related Experience
- January-June, Marine Park Active Adults (2019),
Tilden Neighborhood Senior Center (2017), Brooklyn, NY. - Su Casa Resident Teaching Artist. Through the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and the Department for the Aging grant. I led weekly art enrichment and sculpture classes, using air-dried clay, acrylic paint and some mixed media.
- January-June 2016 and 2017, Cypress Hills Senior Center, Brooklyn, NY.
- Elders Share The Arts (ESTA) Teaching Artist. I led weekly art enrichment and sculpture classes, using kiln-fired clay, glaze, art enrichment and some mixed media.
- January-June 2015, Bensonhurst Senior Center, Brooklyn, NY.
- SPARC Resident Teaching Artist. Through the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and the Department for the Aging grant. I led weekly sculpture classes, using air-dried clay, paper mâché and acrylic paint, for English and/or Cantonese speakers.
- 1985–1986, Kings County Hospital, Brooklyn, NY.
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Downstate Medical Center Art Therapy Training Program. Art Therapy Intern. I conducted individual and group therapy sessions with adolescent acute-care inpatients.
- 1984–1985, Summit School, Queens, NY.
- Art Therapy Intern. I conducted individual art therapy sessions and led and assisted group art therapy sessions at this school for children with emotional and cognitive problems.
- 1979–1980, West Side Montessori School, Manhattan, NY.
- Assistant Teacher. In addition to assisting the head teacher, I designed and ran an after-school arts and recreation program for 4 and 5-year-olds from the class.
- 1979, Mount Pleasant Cottage School, Pleasantville, NY.
- Art Teacher. I designed and implemented a summer art program for the emotionally disturbed adolescent residents of this inpatient facility.
Awards
2003 Madeline Sadin Award for sculpture, Greenwich House Pottery, NY
1984–1986 Dean’s list, all four semesters. M.P.S., Pratt Institute, NY
1979 B.A., awarded magna cum laude. Barnard College, NY
Education
Winter 2015 Lifetime Arts NYC Training Institute
1998–2005 Greenwich House Pottery, courses
1993–1997 Fashion Institute of Technology, courses
1984–1986 Pratt Institute, M.P.S., Creative Arts Therapy, Special Education
1979–1983 School of Visual Arts, courses
1979–1983 Arts Students League, courses
1975–1979 Barnard College, B.A., Urban Studies, Psychology
Solo Exhibit
August 2005 Donnell Library Center, NYC
Group Exhibits
November 2025 Southside Community Center Holiday Bazaar, Ithaca, NY
November 2019 Park Slope Windsor Terrace (PSWT) Artists Open Studio, Brooklyn, NY
October 2019 Gowanus Open Studios (GOS), Brooklyn, NY
April 2018 PSWT Artists spring show at J-Collabo, Brooklyn, NY
Dec. 2017–Sept. 2018 PSWT showcase, NYS Assemblyman Carroll’s Brooklyn office
October 2017 Gowanus Open Studios (GOS), Shapeshifter Lab, Brooklyn, NY
February–April 2017 ESTA Teaching Artist show, Hudson Guild Gallery, NYC, NY
September 2016 PSWT Artists Artslope Pop-up Exhibit, Brooklyn, NY
November 2015 PSWT Artist Open Studios Tour
November 2014 PSWT Open Art Studios Tour
Winter 2010–2013 Holiday Shows, Clayworks, Brooklyn, NY
Fall 2009 Sculpture Show, Clayworks, Brooklyn, NY
May 2008 Faculty Day, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY
October 2007 Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC) Narratives Art Show, Brooklyn, NY
July 2006 440 Gallery Small Works Show, Brooklyn, NY
May 2006 Madarts Summer Show, Brooklyn, NY
May–June 2005 BWAC 25th Anniversary Spring Art Show, Brooklyn, NY
October 2004 Nulla Dies Sine Linea, Greenwich House Pottery, NYC
March 2003 BWAC Solo Show, Brooklyn, NY
Note
Following parental advice to never give up my day job, I kept sculpting but worked in publishing and communications. My other professional credentials are posted at LinkedIn
When I retired, I devoted myself to sculpting and teaching. My husband and I moved to Lansing from Brooklyn in 2021.
Contact
- 121 Dates Rd.
- Lansing, NY 14882
- lincolnart.com
8 Responses
I enjoyed looking at Lisa’s sculptures the same way I enjoy looking at animal characters in children’s story books. I thought the larger pieces were well done. Lisa says working bigger is on the horizon as she is now a glaze and fire member of the Clay School. She also is experienced in editing and writing.
I think there is great potential here and would like to have her join the gallery.
We have been looking for more variety in gallery members work, and I think Lisa would add diversity to our shows.
Yes, I think her work would add a refreshing break from 2D. The characters are engaging and make me curious.
I want to be able to say that I think her work would add diversity to the gallery, but there is something about her sculptures that I don’t find appealing. I definitely see the folk art quality of her pieces, but many of them seem uncompelling, even somewhat undeveloped, in some cases. I’m all for having a sculpture artist in the mix, but perhaps someone else.
It would be nice to have a sculptor, but I don’t think Lisa is the one. I like Val’s dragon, it is complex and well conceived and executed, but the rest seems with out artistic merit. Let’s let her enjoy, dazzle and be enthralled as she continues to study form and execution in a more sophisticated way.
I found some of her sculptures charming, and others too simplistic, so, a mixed reaction… it would be nice, though to have a sculptor in the mix again.
Some members suggested to me that Lisa’s work is similar to MaryAnn Bowman’s. But I do not feel that kind of life energy and playfulness in this work. The human figures especially fall well short of the mark. Barring some amazing interview, I would not vote yes for this artist.
When I look at Lisa’s work through the lens of folk art, I can get alot of enjoyment with these pieces, specifically the more complex constructions. These are narrative and fun, and I think she has a great resume. We dont really have a ceramic sculptor as a member, so I think this might be a good addition.
She would add a dimension to the gallery with her clay sculptures and would attract a different audience. I liked how she said she likes writing and editing, which would be very useful to the Marketing Committee.